On September 26, 2018, the House of Representatives passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018. This bill includes significant modifications to our hobby. While some of the changes are positive, and include provisions that AMA has championed, overall the bill is problematic. On the whole, it will put even more restrictions on our community in the coming months and years.
Now that the House has passed this problematic bill, we must turn our attention to urging the Senate to vote no. It is important for you to know that this bill has not yet been voted into law. This is a critical moment and the Senate needs to hear from our members on the harm this bill would do to our safe, long-standing hobby.
Thank you for your passion and engagement on this issue. You have already been instrumental in voicing support for model aviation by contacting Congress. This has helped open the door to conversations with numerous elected officials. Because of your efforts to contact Congress, discussions are underway in an effort to resolve problematic language, including the 400-altitude cap, but we’re not out of the woods yet.
To keep this momentum going, please share this message with your friends and family who have a love for our hobby. Please also monitor your emails, social media and www.modelaircraft.org/gov for new information as this process continues. There you can also learn more about how this bill will affect our hobby.
Regardless of the outcome of the reauthorization process, AMA will continue to work with Congress and the FAA to fight for relief from onerous regulations for our members.
Thank you,
AMA Government Relations Team